Ex-police officer to be charged over Sun stories

LONDON, Feb 7 (Reuters) - A former police officer is to be charged with misconduct in a public office over claims he passed details of investigations to the Sun newspaper, prosecutors said on Thursday.

Alan Tierney is accused of receiving 1,750 pounds from the Sun, part of Rupert Murdoch's British newspaper business News International, for information relating to two stories in 2009.

The first related to a shoplifting case involving the mother and mother-in-law of Chelsea captain and former England player John Terry, while the second to an incident involving Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood, media reported.

"We have concluded, following a careful review of the evidence, that Alan Tierney, a former police constable with Surrey Police, should be charged with two offences of committing misconduct in public office," said Alison Levitt from the Crown Prosecution Service.

"Both of these incidents were linked to high-profile people."

Tierney will appear at a Westminster Magistrates' Court at a date to be determined.

He is the latest person to face charges over allegations journalists paid cash to public officials in return for money, an investigation linked to the phone-hacking inquiry centred on the now-defunct News of the World tabloid.

Earlier this month, senior counter-terrorism officer April Casburn was jailed for 15 months for offering to sell details about the phone-hacking probe to the News of the World.

Rebekah Brooks, the former boss of News International, and Prime Minister David Cameron's ex-media chief Andy Coulson, are among those who have also been charged with criminal offences relating to the police inquiries.